The present invention relates in general to lamp socket assemblies, and more particular, to a socket assembly for a lamp or bulb capable of connection to a two-conductor cord in a manner to provide an electrical connection between the bulb and the cord.
In one form a socket assembly may be constructed of two pieces including a lamp receiving piece and a mating cap piece. A recess is sometimes formed in the lamp-receiving piece, thereby defining a channel which is adapted to receive a two conductor wire. Projecting into the slot or recess in the lamp-receiving piece are prongs or contacts which are adapted to penetrate the insulation of the wire when the wire is located within the recess, and the cap piece is snapped into place. One drawback associated with this structure particularly as it pertains to the assembly of the socket assembly to the wires is that the process is time consuming and costly. This is particularly so when a plurality of such socket assemblies have to be attached to a two-wire conductor for use, for example, as Christmas lights or for other lighting purposes.
A two-piece socket assembly also requires two separate molding operations. Some socket assemblies are constructed so that the cap section can be inserted in two ways, only one of which is correct. This places a burden upon the assembler to recognize the correct procedure and tends to increase the cost of the end-product.
Other more recent prior art includes my earlier U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,705 on a lamp socket which includes a single-piece housing employing an integral hinge adapted to provide positive engagement for securing a two wire assembly in a channel in the lamp socket. The structure described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,594,705 represented a substantial advance in the art providing a much more simplified socket arrangement and one that enabled proved assembly thereof to the electric cord. However, In some instances, if the electric cord was twisted, there tended to be a breaking of contact between the conductor in the electric cord and the contacts associated with the socket.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement in a single-piece lamp socket, whereby the contact between the electric cord and the socket contacts is more positive and not prone to at least periodic disconnection. This tended to cause a flickering effect at the lamp socket bulb.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a simple, integral, fool-proof, one-piece lamp socket assembly for connection to a two-wire conductor or electric cord.